


The Unofficial Start

by mcgarrygirl78



Series: California Dreaming [4]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Drama, F/M, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-13
Updated: 2013-05-13
Packaged: 2017-12-11 17:18:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/801177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“There is no gray cloud over your head, metaphorical or otherwise.  Not today anyway…I don’t know about tomorrow but not today.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Unofficial Start

“Are you sure this isn’t ridiculous?”

“I like it.”

“That doesn’t quite answer my question.”

“It does answer your question. I like it.”

“OK.”

Gideon hated the beach. That was a strong reaction but mostly true. He definitely preferred the woods where there was more solitude. Something deep in him wanted to be close to the ocean today. It was vast and he loved the sound of the waves crashing onto the sand. 

He didn't think Paloma would be thrilled about giving up a steak dinner at a fancy restaurant for Arby’s roast beef and a bottle of wine from the organic grocery a few blocks away. She seemed quite content sitting on the blanket he kept in the trunk of his car and watching the Pacific Ocean. Jason found he was watching her and just listening to the water. Both endeavors were to his liking.

“There's so much life out there.” he said.

“In the ocean or beyond it?” Paloma asked.

“Both.”

“I loved the beach when I was a little girl. I made the worse sand castles but every time we came I would try again. I got a boogie board for my 10th birthday and thought I was the coolest kid out there. I watched all the surfing movies and decided I had to be like Gidget when I grew up. I was going to be the first black female championship surfer…I just knew it.”

“How long did you have that dream?”

“Mmm, about three months.” she looked at him and smiled. “It lasted that entire summer. Then fall came, I went back to school and decided I wanted to learn to play guitar and write songs. 

“I almost wish I’d written down every obsession I had as a kid. I bet it would be some interesting reading now. What about you? What did you want to be when you were growing up?”

“The first thing I wanted to be was a train conductor. My paternal grandfather worked for Amtrak. He used to take me to the station to watch all the trains. I wanted to be the person who took people places, put them back together with the ones they loved. 

“Then I saw _High Noon_ and wanted to be a law-abiding sheriff. There was a time when I thought I would be a rabbi or a teacher or maybe even a writer. None of those things worked out quite right. Somewhere deep in my belly I always knew I’d be Gary Cooper.”

“I guess that’s no worse than being Sandra Dee.” Paloma said. She sipped her Riesling from a clear plastic cup. “The beach always reminds me of simpler times. I should come here more often.”

“So this was a good plan?”

“I like spontaneity, Jason.” She nodded. “You think you're going to a nice restaurant so you put on your awesome outfit and use the expensive perfume, then you end up watching the waves.”

“You smell quite nice. What are you wearing?”

“It’s called Pretty by Elizabeth Arden. Fragrance is a weakness.”

“There are surely worse things to be weakened by.” He said.

“Something is on your mind.” Paloma turned away from the ocean and focused on him. She sat Indian style but pulled her light blue linen skirt down over her knees. “You wanna talk about it?”

“It was that obvious.”

“I kinda have a people PhD.”

“So do I.”

“What's the matter?”

“They're going to put Maddie up for adoption.” Jason replied. “Her caseworker came to the house and we talked about it. Her mother got 6 to 10 and the judge wants to find Maddie a good and stable home.”

“She got six to ten?”

“The aggravated assault and robbery were bad enough but she also violated parole, again, so that’s it…she’s going to jail. Maddie doesn’t even know yet. This is going to be so tough for her.”

“Are you thinking about adopting her?’ Paloma asked. She held out her cup and Jason poured her more wine.

“Can I be honest?”

“Of course you can.”

“I think she’s too young. Maddie needs a nurturing place, with 2 parents if there is one. She needs to be in a home where she sees love and kindness and learns how to be the wonderful human being I know she can be. I can't do that on my own. At seven, she might still have a chance to find it.”

“We've created some great success stories from cases we never expected to.” Paloma said.

“I know.” Jason nodded. “Her caseworker is going to come back in two weeks and talk to her about it. Right now she's still with me and will probably stay through the summer. But the judge wants her adoption to be a priority.”

“I'm sure he does.”

“I didn't mean to make this date a downer. I have a tendency to darken even the brightest times.”

“You know what you really have a tendency to do…be down on yourself. Nothing could be dark about this day. It’s been raining but that’s finally cleared out. Look at the sky Jason, nowhere in the world is the sky more beautiful than the California coast. 

“Look at the ocean and the little kids playing their weird games down there. Look at me; I put on my good outfit for this date that might not really be a date. There is no gray cloud over your head, metaphorical or otherwise. Not today anyway…I don’t know about tomorrow but not today.”

“OK.”

“You don’t believe me.”

“I want to.” Jason took her hand. “I'm just worried about Maddie.”

“I know you are. You’ve barely touched your dinner. Are you going to finish that?”

“Are you trying to eat my sandwich?” Jason managed a smile when he asked.

“Arby’s is another weakness.” Paloma lowered her head when she smiled.

Jason saw the raspberry tint fill her cheeks. She was blushing. He probably hadn't seen a woman blush in years and surely not one her age. That wasn’t a crack against her age; people just had few things to blush about these days. 

“We can split it.” he said.

“OK.”

“You're blushing.”

“I know…isn’t it terrible.”

“No.” Jason shook his head.

“Can I have half of your sandwich now?”

He laughed as he tore the medium roast beef sandwich in half. The truth was that Jason didn't have much of an appetite at the moment. He was even considering canceling with Paloma at the last minute, or at least rescheduling. It was hard when he knew he was about to lose a foster for whatever reason. 

And Maddie still didn't know. That was part of the reason he came out tonight. It was going to be hard to face her not knowing what would happen in the next couple of weeks. Jason also really wanted to see Paloma. 

Being with her seemed like the perfect way to end a hectic week. He was sure her life wasn’t perfect, and she never pretended it was. Still, she had an optimism and realism that was refreshing. She was also beautiful and funny and smelled good. Jason didn't mind admitting that…to himself.

“Do you have plans for the holiday weekend coming up?” Jason asked. “It’s the unofficial start of summer. The real start for my brood isn’t until school ends.”

“I do and I don’t and I might.” Paloma replied, eating the sandwich.

“Oh that’s interesting.”

“Tell me about your plans.”

Jason wasn’t a talker, he was a listener. Paloma knew that about him after three years acquaintance. She was a talker so it usually worked out just fine. But she wanted to hear from him, wanted to know what he was doing and what he was thinking. 

She wasn’t sure her plan was going to work. All she could do was keep asking questions. Sometimes he answered and sometimes he didn't answer. It was always with the same eloquence.

“The kids want a cookout so we’ll definitely do that. I’m also going to open up the pool so they can swim and have some fun. Classes are over for the time being so I'm going to start a new book.”

“Which book?” Paloma asked.

“I'm not sure but I have enough of them on my Kindle begging for attention. Things have just been so busy…I don’t have the time to read. Reading is probably one of my favorite things.”

“Mine too. I do miss those days when I spent so much of my time reading and dreaming. My parents are having a barbecue and my brother is coming in from Eugene. He’s a track coach at the University of Oregon. 

“But my best friend lives in San Francisco and wants to me to come spend a little time there. Our other Musketeer is visiting from Boston and I think they want to relive college days.” Paloma smirked. “I barely made it out alive the first time.”

“Are you joking?” Jason asked.

“Yes and no. I partied a lot in college. I got really good grades, my parents would've killed me if I didn't, but I think my minor was in spirits. Still, my best friend lives an hour away and we just don’t see each other enough. I see my brother a lot, which is good since he is one of my favorite people.”

“So you won't be around next weekend?”

He asked almost as if it were an afterthought. Not in his tone but as if he’d just spoken for an entire hour and then tacked it on at the end. Paloma sipped her wine, examining Jason. There was so much in his face, in his eyes, but it wasn’t easy to read him. She’d always loved puzzles and she definitely got one with Jason Gideon. Backing down from a challenge wasn’t in her nature.

“No, but I'm not opposed to your making it up to me.” she smiled.

“I'm sure you're not.” Jason nodded.

“I’ll call you when I get back on Tuesday.”

“Alright.”

Finishing her sandwich, Paloma poured more wine. She turned and watched the sun dipping lower and lower on the horizon. A content sigh from her lips, she pulled her knees close to her chest and enjoyed the moment. It really was a beautiful evening. The ocean was always beautiful. 

When she felt Jason put his hand over hers, which was resting on the blanket they shared, Paloma smiled. She wasn’t going to look at him or ask him what it meant. A great moment should be enjoyed for what it was and not analyzed to death. This was date #3, or something like that; he came back for a reason. 

So did she. Maybe they’d share those thoughts with each other in the near future. Maybe they’d just keep showing up to enjoy each other’s company. Next week was the unofficial start of the summer. In California, and surely everywhere else, it was the season of all the best possibilities.

***


End file.
